


The Return

by Cell0113



Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angel Black Hat, emotionally intense, hurt-comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-07 22:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13444779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cell0113/pseuds/Cell0113
Summary: Flug comes back.Based in the Angelic AU created by AngelBlackHat on tumblr.





	The Return

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on [my art tumblr as a gift for AngelBlackHat](http://papercricketgallery.tumblr.com/post/169841000390/the-return), it was supposed to have a much happier ending but this came out instead.  
> Tissues are recommended.

It started with a knock on the door.

To most people, not an unusual thing, but to an Eldritch being living alone in a dilapidated wreck of a mansion with one of if not the most sophisticated home security system in existence, hearing that soft tok-tok of knuckles on wood had the little thing giving a startled yelp and almost falling out of his chair. Flushed with embarrassment at his own skittishness, the suited being stood to straighten himself, leaving his small white feathered wings until last. The ruffled feathers always took a bit of effort to sort out...

A second knock jolted him from his preening, and Angel swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he edged out of his office to stare down the dimly lit hall towards the front entrance. Should he risk it? What if it was one of those goody two shoes that called themselves heroes? Or worse, a former customer with a bone to pick-!

He flinched at a third knock, this one a bit harder than the last two.

But no one came charging in, breaking down his door to terrorize him and ransack his home, and he found himself cautiously stepping out into the hall fully. There had been visitors before, gray faces that manifested through the enchanted computer, but none of them had bothered with a conventional door.

Was there a security setting for deliveries or something...? He'd never bothered to ask Flug the details of things, and not for the first time since everything had happened, he wished he'd stopped and actually listened. Sneaking in and out the back entrance was so much harder when he had to infiltrate his home every time he wanted to slip his way in past the security measures. It was a stunning blow to his already battered pride every time he nearly got shot, shocked, burned, stabbed...

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a fourth knock, much clearer than the others, and he realized while he was puzzling his feet had taken the initiative and walked him down the hall to the front door before which he now stood. Swallowing, he had to stand on tiptoe to see through the peephole, cursing the foot of height he'd lost. Like the stupid wings had stolen the material to make themselves...

A stranger, tall and thin, wearing a heavy coat against the winter cold, their face obscured by the dark as well as the goggles and medical face mask they wore. Something about those goggles...

Swallowing hard, the Eldritch stepped back and spent a moment anxiously twiddling his fingers before him before he took a deep breath, bracing himself as he unlocked and opened the door. No attack so far, but that could change.

"Hello...?"

The stranger stared, silent and still on the door step. He glanced furtively around the near area, looking for the sneak attack or empowered back up, but there was nothing. Just this... Human...?

"Can I help you?"

A small huff escaped the stranger, a faint sound that seemed involuntary from the way those shoulders tensed, but it seemed to be enough to finally break the stifling silence.

"...never thought I'd hear you ask me that, Jefe."

The Eldritch being's lone eye widened, those little wings fluffing up and arching defensively over his shoulders as his grip on the door tightened.

"F-Flug-?!"

A short nod, and the lanky human shifted his weight, a slight tilt to his head the Eldritch recognized from years of service as a quick scan of the near area.

"We should take this inside."

Shaky and stunned, Angel could only nod, stepping back and opening the door further to allow the scientist over the threshold. Once inside, the Eldritch quickly shut and locked the door, and he heard a low hum as the security system rebooted. So, Flug had some kind of override...?

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to focus on that. Now...

Now, he had apologies to make.

Angel turned to see the scientist had walked a short distance further down the hall, and he felt a flicker of embarrassment at seeing a gloved hand drag through a layer of dust that lay on a side table that once held a delicate vase. He'd destroyed it in the early days, when the pain of loneliness and fear had still managed to develop into rage. Before despair had truly taken hold...

Flug seemed to notice he was being stared at, and he turned, head tilted slightly in a silent question, and Angel swallowed, anxiously twisting his hands together. He could feel his wings were trembling, fluffed and all too visible no matter how much he tried to hide it. Like the wings ever followed his intent-

"You're shorter."

Angel jerked, looking up with a small startled sound he failed to catch, and realized Flug had moved closer while he was lost in his own thoughts. The human could actually look down at him, a good three inches taller than his current height, and the Eldritch found he could only nod.

"Y-Yes. I am."

Really, he was overall a great deal smaller than he had been, slimmer and shorter and softer. He was just glad most of his clothes had shrunk with him, else he'd be swimming in his own shirt.

Flug just stood there, staring, and Angel swallowed, trying and failing to keep himself from fidgeting in the silence. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to reconcile, but his words simply weren't there, and it was a struggle to keep some level of eye contact. He had messed up, badly, and he was paying for it now, paying for his callous mistreatment, paying for the pain he had inflicted, and now that he had the chance to ask forgiveness, he couldn't make his voice work. Did he even deserve forgiveness for what he'd done...?

"Demencia is in a coma because of you."

The Eldritch being's eye widened, a little gasp escaping his mouth.

"What-?"

"When you threw her."

The Eldritch flinched, and the scientist paused a moment before continuing, his voice flat and dull.

"She cracked her skull, and by the time we got out, she was already unconscious. Fives figured out she wasn't waking up."

Flug seemed more statue than person as he spoke, but there was a notable tension to his shoulders that was making Angel nervous.

"The hospital reported us. We had to beg -BEG- Captain fucking Hammer to not take her off life support, and he only didn't cause Fives started crying."

A rough humorless laugh.

"Guess the so-called worthless bear turned out useful after all, huh?"

Wordless, the Eldritch could feel the rest of his body had begun to tremble, his eye stinging as tears began to gather. This was it, this was what he deserved, the rage, the hurt, the pain, everything he had inflicted turned about on him in return-!

Flug inhaled a deep breath, a gloved hand pulled from the pockets of his coat to rub tiredly at the bridge of his nose before letting out a heavy sigh.

"...they put me on probation. Stuck me and Fives in a government owned apartment complex to keep an eye on us, made me a glorified janitor until I got out to find my own job. Working freight isn't much better, but nobody bothers me."

The scientist dropped his hand, his goggle hidden eyes focusing on the anxious Eldritch.

"It's actually cause of that I found your... I dunno what to call it, is it a blog? A journal? A- A confessional?"

Angel's eye widened as he realized what Flug had found, and his grey cheeks darkened with embarrassment. He had found the computer mostly by chance, and there was only so much he knew about it. It was only after he'd started getting responses that he realized he'd been revealing his fear and regret to the world at large. But he'd been so lonely, he couldn't help continuing...

"And these- People! You just let them-!"

The scientist shook his head with a disgusted noise. He took a step forward, only to stop when the Eldritch stumbled back.

Angel swallowed hard, feeling the tears he had been trying to hold back spill free. It hurt, being confronted with just how low he had allowed himself to fall in his solitude and guilt, and he hated how he couldn't bring himself to even try defending himself. It was what he deserved...

He heard a soft sigh, and the now tear blurred shape of the scientist seemed to grow shorter, coming level with the Eldritch. A gentle hand touched his elbow, and he flinched, pulling away. The hand did not return.

"Jefe... Why are you doing this?"

"I- I-"

Where did he start? The years of mistreatment and abuse he had inflicted on people that had never actually done wrong? The untold pain and suffering his business had wrought upon the world?  
No matter what he looked like now, no matter what he felt about those actions now, it was no one but he who had committed those acts, made those decisions, and as much as he wanted to apologize, to make amends-

This was his punishment, and he would be the first and last person to acknowledge that he truly deserved to be punished.

A quiet hiccup, and he dropped his gaze to the floor as tears dripped off his chin.

"...it's m-my fault..."

His wings drooped as his shoulders trembled, and he swallowed hard as he hunched in on himself, arms curling against his chest and middle in a self-hug that did nothing to ease the pain.

"I- I deserve this, I deserve to b-be punished, it's m-my fault-!"

It was getting harder and harder to talk, every other breath a sob that made his chest ache, but he couldn't stop even as he rocked slightly on his heels, his whole body trembling. His gloved claws were poking through the leather, he could feel the points digging through his shirt, but the small pricks of pain were nothing to the terrible emotional agony that twisted through his insides.

"I did s-so m-many HORRIBLE things-! To y-you, a-and 505, and Demencia and all those people that got hurt from the things I sold to morally bankrupt m-murderers! It's all my FAULT-!"

A heaving sob stole the rest of his words, and he tore his shaking hands from his shirt to clutch at his hat, yanking it down over his face to muffle an agonized wail, not in the mind to care that he was revealing the mess of downy feathers that had grown to cover his scalp.

He'd done so much wrong over his long life, so many innocents harmed, so many horrors wrought either by him or the devices he introduced to the villainous market, and now he was overwhelmed by the guilt and regret that before had not even existed in his vocabulary, let alone as something he could actually FEEL. And there was so very LITTLE he could do to make amends, the past year of solitude and helplessness a drop in the bucket compared to everything else.

It hurt, knowing he truly deserved every moment of loneliness, every shred of abuse, every act of violence, every instant of embarrassment, every breath of sadness- He deserved it and then some. It was all he could do to try to balance the dripping red ledger of his personal wrong doing.

The Eldritch being's breathing hitched, a break in the sobbing, and he finally managed to find words again, even if they were muffled into his hat.

"I'm sorry-! I'm s-so, so sorry-!"

He felt his knees give out at last, and expected to slam into the floor, feel the pain of bruised shins before he huddled in on himself and flopped over in a miserable ball like he had so many times before when the despair overwhelmed him.

But instead-

Thin arms padded by down and cotton caught him high around the middle, narrowly missing the bases of his wings before he was hauled up into a tight embrace that almost crushed his hat against his face. It was a near thing, but he ended up dropping it in shock, and the hollow sound it made when it hit the dusty hardwood echoed through the sudden quiet.

It took him a moment to properly register what had happened, but then he was getting a warm squeeze and oh he'd forgotten Flug smelled like solder...

A hiccup, and Angel let himself fall limp into the fiercely tight hug, his head coming to rest on the human's shoulder as his hands gripped at the padded winter coat, claws pricking the rip-stop nylon shell as he wept against his former co-worker's neck.

"-sorry 'm sorry 'm sorry 'm sorry 'm sorry-!"

He cried for a long time, until he felt hollow and empty and a little light headed, his eye aching and red-rimmed with his throat feeling rougher than that time he'd gotten sick. He hiccuped quietly, and felt that firm embrace tighten around him before gentling.

Flug shifted his grip, pulling back just enough to meet the Eldritch eye to eye, before he gave a soft sigh.

"...c'mon, Jefecito, let's get you to bed."

Before Angel could attempt to protest, the human was carefully adjusting his grip, and the little Eldritch was being helped back to his feet. Only he was so wrung out his legs didn't want to hold him, so Flug had to pick him up, and Angel buried his face against that already tear-stained winter jacket to hide his embarrassment. At least he was a lot lighter than a human of similar size...

There was a pause as his hat was retrieved, and the Eldritch gave a little startled yip when it was placed back on his head.

"It's weird seeing you without a hat on."

Angel blushed, and used one hand to straighten the top hat even as Flug shifted his grip to carry him better.

"...thank you, Flug."  
"...you're welcome, Jefe."

When the scientist started towards the Eldritch being's old quarters, he didn't stop him, not wanting to see the look he would inevitably receive should Flug see where he had actually started sleeping, tucked away in a blanket nest under his office desk where the heavy wood and solid stone made him feel safer than the huge, empty bed. Still, when the door was carefully swung open, it was obvious the room had gone unused for weeks, if not months, a layer of dust over everything and empty cobwebs drooping in the corners of the four poster.

Flug stood still in the door frame, staring, and Angel turned his face more completely into the cushioned surface of the scientist's coat, cheeks burning with shame.

"...do you want to sleep here?"

A pause, and the Eldritch managed a tiny shake of his head. There was no verbal reply, but Flug turned away from the forgotten suite, pulling the door closed behind him with the toe of his shoe. He hesitated a moment in the hall, then began to wander almost aimlessly, simply carrying the worn out remnants of his boss through the dilapidated ruins of what had once been an opulent mansion. A few open doors were peeked into, new dead ends where the structure had been so badly damaged that parts had collapsed needing to be navigated around, but eventually, a lone light drew the scientist towards what had been Black Hat's private office.

He bumped his hip into the door to open it wider, and paused a moment, seeing dust and debris had gathered here as well, but there were signs of attempted cleaning, and a warm fire was burning in the grate. A heavy blanket had been draped over the chair there, and he made for it, seeing no other spot where the Eldritch might be comfortable.

Angel made no resistance as he was moved from the warm arms he'd never known the strength of, set down atop the soft cushioned seat even though all he really wanted was to hold on and never let go. He stiffened a little as the blanket snapped as it was shaken out, before being draped over his shoulders, and Flug stilled with his hands mid-motion to tucking in the weary Eldritch as he realized what he was doing.

Part of him wanted to be mad, just absolutely livid, for having fallen for what had seemed like an act when witnessed through pictures online. But the rest of him knew that kind of pain could not be faked, knew the feeling of a chest constricted by breaths made short by sobbing, knew the burning in one's eyes and throat that sometimes was even worse than being violently sick. The scientist sighed, and finished with the motions of getting his former boss tucked in, warm and safe by the fire.

He moved to stand, and was only a little surprised when a black gloved hand reached out to catch his own, the touch so light he might have missed it if he hadn't been slightly expecting it. Angel did not look up, and thus missed his questioning head-tilt, but after a moment, he managed to speak, voice soft and hoarse.

"...will you come back?"

Flug stood quiet and could only stare for several seconds, watching as those slim fingers held his own in a grasp so light he could have pulled away without even trying. He knew, oh he knew so well, what it felt to be alone and scared and desperate...

"...maybe. Probably."

The Eldritch bit down on his bottom lip, eye closing as his now-shaking hand gently tightened its grip. A lone tear slipped free, making a single wet circle on the blanket's fabric.

"Then... I'll wait. F-For you."

A sniffle, and another tear trickled down.

"I- I'll wait."

For a long moment, there was nothing but the crackle of the fire and the occasional soft sniffle. Then, Flug was turning his own hand, giving those delicate feeling fingers a gentle squeeze, before he was pulling away, crossing the room and walking out the door without a word.

For some moments, the echo of the scientist's footsteps could be heard as they moved further and further away, and finally, there was the muffled click-thunk of the front door being opened and shortly after closed again.

And the silence reigned.


End file.
